Rotary brush



Sept. 30, 1941. c. A. IMI-IOFF ROTARY BRUSH Filed July 5, 1938 Mmm Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l ,2,257,33'90 l Ro'rARYBRUsH Carl A. Imhoff, West Los Angeles, Calif. f Application July 5, 193s, serial No. 217,354 f (o1. is-zs) l Y 5 Claims.

My invention has to do with improvements in rotaryr brushes and, more particularly, to rotary brushes adaptable for dental use.

Among the chief `object`s,I aim to provide a compact and sanitary device which is economical of manufacture and eicient in use.

Another object is to provide a device of a design and structure providing minimum over-all thickness. i

Another object is to provide ar structure in which the brush element may be quickly and easilymounted and removed and yet held firmly in position `when mounted.

Still another object is to provide a simple and effective means for rotating the brush elementi and for changing the direction of rotation of the brush. Still further objects Will appear hereinafter. r i

I have found that the chief obstacles 'to using rotary brushes for dental purposes reside in the factthat, due to their design and structure, they are unsanitary, complicated and may `not be made sufliciently small and compact to be effectively used as tooth brushes.4 By" myinvention, which comprises the novel elements, combinations and features of structure hereinafter eX- plained and claimed, I effectively overcome those shortcomings.

'I'o make my invention clearly understood, I shall now proceed to describe in detail one preferred embodiment thereof, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side view, partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 illustrates an enlarged variational form in longitudinal section. i

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, I show a round, tubular handle 5 having one of its ends 6 reduced in diameter to receive exteriorly threaded sleeve I. The opposite end of the handle tapers at 8 to the flattened ring-like body or brush assembly housing portion 9, said portion 9 having a circular opening I9 to receive the brush rotating assembly to be described. Handle 5 is preferably, though not necessarily, integral with body 9 and both are preferably made of "Bakeli or any other suitable material.

Within opening I I mount a brush mounting ring I journalled at its exterior side wall in the annular downwardly depending flange I'I of top cover ring I6 and at its bottom annular portion 29 against bearing surface-I9 of bottom cover ring I9. The annular portion 29 of ring mem-,

berv I5 underhangs flange I1. A row of gear teeth 2| is provided around the top surface ofk annular portion 29 of ring I5. Cover rings I6 and I8, respectively, are secured to opposite sides of body 9 by means of screws 25,v here shownas three in number. A key 28 is provided on the inner wall of mounting ring I5, the key being secured` to the ring by having a shank 29 mounted in hole 39 in ring I5. The inner side Wall of ring I5 is bevelled so as to taper longitudinally outwardly from its center and thusprovides a wedge t for the brush base Whose side wall 36 is Wedge-shaped and longitudinally slotted at 31 to receive the key 28. Thus the brush base is` positively held against rotationwith respect to the ring by both the key and the wedge fit and is held against escaping outwardly'by a Wedge fit, regardless of from which end of ring I5 thev brush base may be inserted.` Suitable brush bristles 38 are embedded at one end in brush base 35 in the conventional manner.

Mounting ring I5 is rotated by shaft 49 journalled in" handle 5, the shaft being provided with a circumferential row of gear teeth 4I and having its inner end journalled in hole 59 in flange I'I of ring I6. Said teeth mesh with teeth 2l of the mounting ring I5. The outer end of shaft 49 is provided with a key 43 tting into key socket 44 of socket member 45, which latter member is connected to a driving member, such as the flexible drive shaft 46 leading from a motor or other suitable driving member, not shown. Shaft 46 is housed within flexible casing 41, the latter being provided with an end portion 48 of increased diameter which is held against the end of sleeve 6 by the interiorly threaded sleeve 49 screwed onto sleeve 1.

The device of Fig. 4 is identical with that of Figs. l to 3 except in the following respects: the inner wall of brush mounting sleeve 15a is straight while the inner `face of key 28a tapers from its center to its top and bottom so as to present a V-shape, and longitudinal slot 31a in the side wall of the brush base 35a tapers from its bottom to its top to provide a Wedge fit of the brush base in the ring regardless of from which- While I have illustrated and described the pre#- ferred form of construction, I of course do not limit Vmyself to the precise details of structure shown and described, but desire, to avail myself of such Variations and modifications as'may corne within the scope of the appended claims.y

I Claimf l l. In a rotary brush device, a body, a brush' holding ring rotatably mountedwithin the body, theinri'er side wall of said ring being longitudi- ,inally bevelled to` taperfoutwardly from its` center toward eaclirof Aitsends,et brush 'element having a base tting into saidjring, said base tapering longitudinally*Y to engage a portinof the inner side wall Aof thesaid ring when inserted therein from either side of the ring, and means for rotating the ring. l 1 Y- f 2, 4A rotary brush comprising, incombination: a body having a handle portion and, aflattened head portionatsleerve rotatably mounted `'transversely of and extending entirely through the` head portion, the bore of the sleeve opening at both sides of the head, means in the head for .I

rotating the.I sleeve, and a brush having a longitudinally tapered base fitting andbeing insertible into said sleeve from either end `of Vthe sleeve, said sleeve having a brush-base receivingi inner. Wall which tapers froml each o`f,its -,end,sinwardly towards. its axis Awhereby gv to frictionally en'gage'v the tapered base when said base is inserted from either end of said sleeve.

3. In a rotary brush device, a body, a brush holding ring rotatably mounted `in the body, a key secured to the inner wall of the ring, said key extending longitudinally of the ring and tapering fromeach of its ends inwardlytowards the axis of the ring, and a brush element having a base fitting into the ring, said brush presenting a longitudinally extending slot one of whose walls tapers longitudinally so as to be frictionally en- 'A gaged by a portion of the tapered surface of theA key.

V4. In a device of the class described, a body having a ring-like portion, a cover ring secured to the body, said cover ring presenting a downwardly depending inner bearing flange, a rotat-` ablelbijushV holding ring journalled in said flange, said brush holding ring having a bottom annular outwardly depending ange underhanging saidV bearingflange and provided with a circumferen-lv tial row of` 'gear teeth, la tubuiarhandle onjthe body, a drive shaft'in the handle, said shaft being journalledatone end in saidbearing ilange and having a toothed `portion operatively engaging the gear teeth on the brush holding ring,` vand a brush element having a base housed in and frictionally engaging ther brush holding ring.

.5. A rotary brush'comprisin'g a flattened head,I

an opening transversely therethrough, a sleeveiof a length Vcoextensive with the length ofthe open-I ing, said sleeve being journalled in the openingv to rotate about an axis transversely of the head andhaving a longitudinal bore open at both itsV ends,` a brush base having ar bristle embedding portion carried withinthe bore and bristles ex,-

tendingeoutwardly froman end of the base, thek opposite'end of the base terminating at thel opposite end of thebore, and means in the head' forroteiine the Sleeve-e 1 CARL A. IMHOFF.-

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